At 31, Lethabo Mokgatle is using film to confront difficult conversations that many would rather avoid. Through stories rooted in African realities and women's lived experiences, she is demonstrating that cinema can do more than entertain — it can challenge perceptions, preserve culture and inspire social change.

As founder of Neauvau Productions, the female-led company she established in 2015, Mokgatle oversees the creative and strategic direction of film, television and digital productions. A cum laude graduate of the New York Film Academy with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Filmmaking, she writes, directs and produces projects that amplify underrepresented voices while leading partnerships, fundraising and production operations.

Her internationally acclaimed thesis film, Sebari Milach (Break the Blade), a powerful exploration of female genital mutilation, earned second place in the Student Film category at the Loeries Africa & Middle East Awards and won Best Women's Rights Film at the Chicago International Social Change Film Festival. The film's impact has also been recognised nationally through features on Morning Live and News24.

Beyond filmmaking, Mokgatle is a humanitarian, Peace Ambassador and mentor committed to nurturing emerging filmmakers, particularly women. She credits her late grandmother's enduring reminder that "Rome was not built in one day" with shaping her resilience. That philosophy continues to guide a career dedicated to telling stories that leave audiences challenged, inspired and changed.